Venice guide - places and sights
Author: Emil Netzov
Venice is a city like no other. It has had its fair share of
supporters - Marco Polo once said, "Every time I describe a city
I am saying something about Venice". It has also had some critics
- Oscar Wilde described a gondola ride through the city's canals
as a coffin floating in a sewer. Naturally, no city is perfect.
Venice presents many advantages - important landmarks and
monuments and striking architecture. However, floods are common,
and sometimes the smell can be hard to bear.
There is plenty to see and do in Venice. The
city's elegant palaces and buildings overlook the ancient
labyrinth of narrow lanes and the maze of canals. If you want to
take a stroll you should stick to the romantic back streets and
residential areas. The piazzas and main itineraries are often
cramped.
Venice is part of an archipelago in the Venetian lagoon. Its
historical district is divided into six quarters - San Marco, San
Polo, Castello, Dorsoduro, Santa Croce and Cannaregio. Its main
itinerary is the Grand Canal, which extends from the train
station to San Marco. If you find the streets too busy you can
cruise the waterways onboard a vaporetti or waterbus. This is
less romantic but also less expensive than a gondola ride.
The city's best attractions include St. Mark's
Basilica, the School of St Roch, the Doge's Palace, the Gallerie
dell'Academia, Rialto Bridge and the Guggenheim museum
collection. St Mark's Basilica is the best known of all churches
in Venice and an excellent example of Byzantine architecture. The
basilica is located at St. Mark's Square. The interior plan
consists of three transverse and three longitudinal naves. The
Golden Pall forms the altarpiece. There is a baldacchino on
columns, covered with 11th century reliefs above the high altar.
The choir features exquisite bronze statues of the Evangelists.
St. Mark's Basilica was consecrated in 1094.
The School of St Roch is famous for the canvasses of Tintoretto,
which grace the interior. The artist was commissioned to decorate
the building and spent 23 years doing this. Notable works include
scenes from the Crucifixion.
The Doge's Palace, which played a major role in the history of
the basilica, is adjacent to St. Mark's Basilica. It has been the
seat of the archbishop of Venice and the Patriarch of Venice
since 1807. This magnificent Gothic residence was once inhabited
by the Doge or chief magistrate of Venice. The last Doge of
Venice abdicated in 1797 and the dogal tradition was never
revived, yet the palace remains. The palace was completed in 1424
after being under construction for over a century. It boasts a
spectacular stone-colored marble façade, which is a true
construction feat. The slender arches and pillars are
fascinating. The palace was designed in an urban waterfront
context. The third floor is dominated by the Sala del Collegio, a
place where foreign ambassadors were received. This hall features
the portraits of several Doges and the Lepanto by Paolo Veronese.
The last is a painting of the naval battle of Lepanto of
1571.
The Rialto Bridge is the most famous bridge in
Venice. It is the oldest bridge across the biggest watercourse of
the city, the Grand Canal.
The Gallerie dell'Academia is home to one of the finest art
collections in Europe, chronicling the development of Venetian
art from the 1300s to the 1700s. Works of note in the gallery
include Carpaccio's Crucifixion and Apotheosis, Paolo Veneziano's
Coronation of Mary, Giovanni Bellini's Madonna with Child between
Saints Catherine and Mary Magdalene, Lorenzo Lotto's Portrait of
a Young Gentleman in His Studio, Giorgione's Tempest and Paolo
Veronese's Feast in the House of Levi.
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is located in the former Palace
of the rich heiress. It is among the most memorable modern art
collections in Italy, spanning a wide variety of artistic
movements like abstractionism, cubism and surrealism. The last
includes important works by Marino Marini, Picasso, Rothko, Dali
and Jackson Pollock.
As for Venice's downsides, these include floods, the rising rate
of decay, the outrageous charges of water-taxi drivers and
gondoliers, the smelly mold-colored waters of the back canals,
the broken marble walls smeared with graffiti, the tourist
riffraff in the summer, encompassing not only Venice but also its
islands, the peeling paint of the back-street walls, street
vendors, screaming children, the smells of burning meat and red
sauce and more.
But some of these aspects can have upsides. Locals may hate it,
but the sight of St. Mark's Square flooded by a still lake of
water is unforgettable for a tourist. Famous photographers have
immortalized this sight several times over the years. Getting
lost in the back streets is not as bad as it sounds - you may
discover mazes of shadowy alleys, dark misty churches and other
interesting buildings - and after that you may suddenly find
yourself back on a major itinerary like Calle Fabbri or Merceria.
You will get a whole new perspective of Venice as you watch the
serpentine throngs of awestruck tourists pacing down the humid,
noisy main streets.
For more information please visit:
San Marco Square in Venice, Italy About the author: Emil
Netzov from Europe
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